Ma Xicheng - 马喜成
Ma Xicheng, 58, lived at Chaoyang Village, Yilan County, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. Before practicing Falun Gong, Ma Xicheng suffered from severe tracheitis and phlebitis. He began practicing Falun Gong in 1998, and his diseases were soon healed.
When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Gong in July 1999, Ma Xicheng went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. He was arrested and sentenced to one year of forced labor. In October 2001, Ma Xicheng and his wife were both arrested while they were distributing truth-clarification materials. In December 2001, Ma Xicheng and his wife were both sentenced to two years of forced labor. Mr. Ma was sent to Changlinzi Forced Labor Camp, while his wife was sent to Wanjia Forced Labor Camp. Ma's 80-year-old mother-in-law with three grandchildren are left alone at home and lead a very difficult life.
On July 4, 2006, policeman Lin Zhong from Dongcheng Police Station in Yilan County arrested the couple while they were distributing truth-clarification materials at Yilan County. The police later released his wife after the family, including the 80-year-old mother-in-law, went to protest the police's actions. While Ma Xicheng was detained at the Second Detention Center of Yilan County, the guards brutally force-fed him. Later the police sent Ma Xicheng to the Changlinzi Forced Labor Camp for two years. At that point, Ma Xicheng was already very weak from torture and abuse suffered at the detention center.
On February 20, 2007, the family went to Changlinzi Forced Labor Camp to visit Ma Xicheng, and policeman Yang Jinshan asked the family to fill out a form denigrating Falun Dafa. The family refused to do it, and their visit request was denied.
In February 2008, Ma Xicheng became very fragile due to the persecution in the labor camp and was diagnosed with tubercular pleurisy. Under strong condemnation from his family and overseas practitioners, the labor camp released Ma Xicheng on March 1. Ma Xicheng was emaciated, had lost his hearing, and was unable to take care of himself. He could eat only very small portions of food. On December 14, 2008, Ma Xicheng passed away.
